I'd like to snag a basic decent 27' above ground round for our yard.

I'm seeing lots of inexpensive basic pools on Ebay but I'm weary. I'm a complete newbie, and the install would need to be done by a pro. We live in North Carolina, I'm assuming our pool season would be from mid-April until October.

It seems I can snag a complete pool w/ filter etc for $2500 or so, some are even a bit cheaper. What about install? Whats reasonable to expect? I'm also weary of having an outsider install a pool I purchased online because they won't have any reason to stand behind it. Thoughts?

Keep in mind I'm a complete pool newbie. In-ground is out, as my wife and I are newly married, in a new-construction neighborhood, and don't have $40k to do it right. I would just assume spend $5k now and be happy, then possibly years down the road get an in-ground....

I'd like the pool to be as sturdy as possible. Certainly I want to be able to kick off the side of it when swimming and not worry about it falling over.

Thoughts? brands to stay away from?